Manual and automated methods of pre-charging an empty or partially empty insulated container with CO2 snow are provided. A first location such as a charging location charges CO2 liquid into a container to create a pre-charged container with CO2 snow. The charging location prepares the pre-charged container for delivery to a second location, either by itself, or through a third party. The second location may be a clinical site, which upon receipt of the pre-charged container, loads a perishable item such as a biological sample into the pre-charged container. A user receives the pre-charged container with perishable item and removes the perishable item from the pre-charger container for testing (e.g., biological testing). Depending on the level of depletion of the CO2 snow in the pre-charged container, the user returns the depleted container to the first location or the intermediate location.

This present disclosure provides a vessel assembly for use in temperature sensitive shipping that can maintain a payload temperature across a range of temperatures. The vessel assembly of the present disclosure comprises a vessel having a single chamber, in which a plurality of PCMs are in contact, but immiscible, with each other. The present disclosure reduces the overall packaging materials used in a shipper box and prevents the “wrong” mixture of PCM-containing vessels from being used.

A pressure activated recharging cooling platform for cooling an object is provided. The cooling platform comprises a temperature regulation layer, a support layer, and a channeled covering layer. The temperature regulation layer is adapted to hold a composition. The temperature regulation layer has a plurality of angled segments, wherein angled segments within a sealed perimeter of the temperature regulation layer are formed by a top side and a bottom side at a predefined distance, and channels, wherein the channels substantially form sides by contacting the top side with the bottom side at a distance lesser than the predefined distance. The support layer is substantially bonded to the bottom side of the temperature regulation layer and is comprised of material sufficiently pliable to deform and sufficiently rigid to withstand collapse in response to the weight of the object. The channeled covering layer encompasses the support and temperature regulation layers.

A phase change material includes a salt-water solution having a first salt, a second salt and water; a gelling agent; a thermal conductivity enhancer; and a nucleation agent. The phase change material is suitable for use as a cold storage material, in particular, for maintaining an environment at a temperature of from −15 to −40° C. The phase change material may be used in a cold storage pack.

Embodiments of the subject invention relate to a method and apparatus for thermally protecting a product, such as when storing and/or shipping a product, so as to control the temperatures the products are exposed to. Embodiments can increased the amount of time the product and/or portions of the product experience a desired temperature range and/or reduce the amount of time the product and/or portions of the product experience temperatures outside of the desired temperature range and/or experience an undesirable temperature range. Embodiments can incorporate thermally conductive materials, such as aluminum sheets, positioned around and/or near the product positioned inside a packaging container, such that the conductive materials conduct heat from one or more locations in the interior of the package to one or more other locations in the interior of the package. These thermally conductive materials can be referred to as conductive equalizers. The conductive equalizers can conductively transfer heat from the hotter portions of the interior of the container to cooler portions of the interior of the container and/or from portions of the interior desired to be cooled to the cold bank. Conducting heat from hotter portions to cooler portions, or from portions to be cooled to the cold bank can result in a more uniform temperature distribution around the product.

Automated blast gel pack conditioning equipment is provided and includes a housing with an evaporator and heater and defining a void space for containing a set of gel packs, at least one fan for circulating air within the housing such that a path of air flow extends through an air insufflation end to an air return end within the housing, at least one temperature sensor located within the housing, and a controller for receiving temperature measurements from the at least one temperature sensor and for automatically controlling operation of the evaporator, heater, and fans during phase change processing and conditioning of gel packs. A method of phase change processing and conditioning gel packs and a temperature sensor assembly are also provided.

In a transport container for transporting temperature-sensitive transport goods, there is a chamber for receiving the transport goods and a shell enclosing the chamber. The shell has at least one first latent heat storage element wherein the heat storage element is arranged in a heat exchanging relationship with the chamber. The at least one first latent heat storage element includes a carrier material which is dimensionally stable at use temperature, and a phase change material distributed within the mass of the carrier material, so that the at least one first latent heat storage element is dimensionally stable in a temperature range both below and above the melting point of the phase change material. The at least one first latent heat storage element is designed as a casting part which surrounds the chamber in one piece, seen in cross section, at least over half the circumference.

A system for monitoring and reporting internal refrigeration unit temperatures includes a temperature measuring device for placement within the refrigeration unit. The temperature measuring device has a first temperature sensors situated in a liquid or solid mass (e.g. glycol or glass beads) for measuring an average temperature within the refrigeration unit and/or has a second temperature sensors exposed to ambient air within the refrigeration unit for measuring an instantaneous temperature within the refrigeration unit. A circuit periodically transmits the average temperature and/or the instantaneous temperature from the temperature measuring device to a server where the average temperature and the instantaneous temperature are analyzed to determine and/or predict a fault with the refrigeration unit. Upon determination and/or prediction of the fault, an alert is sent to at least one staff member indicating the refrigeration unit and fault.

A pressure activated recharging cooling platform for cooling an object is provided. The cooling platform comprises a temperature regulation layer, a support layer, and a channeled covering layer. The temperature regulation layer is adapted to hold a composition. The temperature regulation layer has a plurality of angled segments, wherein angled segments within a sealed perimeter of the temperature regulation layer are formed by a top side and a bottom side at a predefined distance, and channels, wherein the channels substantially form sides by contacting the top side with the bottom side at a distance lesser than the predefined distance. The support layer is substantially bonded to the bottom side of the temperature regulation layer and is comprised of material sufficiently pliable to deform and sufficiently rigid to withstand collapse in response to the weight of the object. The channeled covering layer encompasses the support and temperature regulation layers.

A pressure activated recharging cooling platform for cooling an object is provided. The cooling platform comprises a temperature regulation layer, a support layer, and a channeled covering layer. The temperature regulation layer is adapted to hold a composition. The temperature regulation layer has a plurality of angled segments, wherein angled segments within a sealed perimeter of the temperature regulation layer are formed by a top side and a bottom side at a predefined distance, and channels, wherein the channels substantially form sides by contacting the top side with the bottom side at a distance lesser than the predefined distance. The support layer is substantially bonded to the bottom side of the temperature regulation layer and is comprised of material sufficiently pliable to deform and sufficiently rigid to withstand collapse in response to the weight of the object. The channeled covering layer encompasses the support and temperature regulation layers.